Apparatus for separating and collecting condensable carbonaceous substances.



PATENTED DEC. 1, 1903.

'L. P. LOWE. APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING AND COLLECTING GONDENSABLEGARBONAUEOUS SUBSTANCES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 10, 1902.

Ho Imam..-

IN VENTOR UNITED STATES Patented December 1, 1903.

LEON P. LO'WE, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATiNG AND COLLECTING CONDENSABLE CARBONACEOUSSUBSTANCES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 745,870, dated December1903- Application filed March 10, 1902. Serial No. 97,694. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEON P. LOWE, a citizen of the United States,residing at San Francisco, State of California, have invented a new anduseful improvement in an apparatus for separating and collectingcondensable hydrocarbons and solid carbonaceous sub-- stances derivedfrom the washing and scrub bing of manufactured gases, which improvementis fully set forth in the following specification and accompanyingdrawings.

My invention embodies novel features, as will be hereinafter set forthand definitely claimed.

In the ordinary manufacture of commercial gases, especially when made orpartially inade from the decomposition of petroleumoils, condensablehydrocarbons and solid carbonaceous by-produots are formed, usually inthe shape of tars and lampblack, and as these substances are valuablefor many purposes their recovery is advisable. If lampblack and tar aremade in the same operation, they are separated with considerabledifficulty.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of what Iterm a tar and lampblaclz separator on line A B of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is aplan of same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the corner of a tray,showinga wire screen surmounted bya screen of finer mesh, preferably inthe form of a fabric, such as burlap.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in thevarious figures.

1 is a box preferably of rectangular form and fitted with variouscompartments and trays, as shown.

2 2 2 2 are partitions extending across box 1 upward from the bottomthereof and are so spaced as to form divisions, as shown. Thesepartitions may be of any number desired.

3 is a partition extending across box 1 and so placed as to allow aspace between the bottom of box 1 and partition 3.

4 is a tray, or sets of trays, preferably made of slats fitted withscreens.

5 is a screen, preferably of wire-cloth, surmounting tray 4.

6 is a screen, preferably in the form of a fabric, such as burlap,surmounting screen 5.

7 is an inlet connection at top of box 1, placed in any convenientlocation.

8 is an outlet connection from bottom of box 1, placed in any convenientlocation.

9 is a partition similar to partitions 2, save that its upper edge islower than those of partitions 2.

The operation of this separator is as follows: The waste water comingfrom the gasmaking apparatus and which carries the substances describedabove enters the separator 1 through inlet 7, the heavy tarry portionscontained in the water falling to the bottom of the pits formed by thepartitions 2 2 2 2, while the lighter portion, such as lampblaok, iscarried on the surface of the water and flows over the tops of thepartitions 2, falling into a lower pit formed by partition 9, wherein itis retained by the baffle-partition 3, although the water from which ithas been separated is allowed to escape by passing beneath partition 3and over the surface of partition 9.

In practice it is found that certain portions of the lampblack and tarrysubstances are of about the same weight as water, and consequently donot either settle or float, but are carried along and would ordinarilyescape unless additional means were provided to collect same, and this Iaccomplish by allowing the waterwhich flows over partition 9 to fallupon the screens 4, which check and collect same, while the water passesthrough and escapes through the opening 8 in a practically clear andclean condition.

If it is not desired to fully recover all of the substances coming tothe separator, the screens at can be dispensed with and the operation ofthe separator be thus simplified.

The separator described can be of any convenient form and constructionto meet any requirement, and I do not confine myself to any particulardesign, but in ordinary operation I prefer the plan and arrangement asshown.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In an apparatus of thecharacter described, the combination of the separator-box having aseries of partitions extending upward from the bottom of the box anddividing the same into a succession of compartments, a partitionextending upward to a lower level. than the first partition, a wall infront of said latter partition, spaced from the Too bottom of the box topermit the Waste Water to pass below said Wall, a screen at a lowerlevel than the top of the lowest partition and filtering material placedon said screen through which the Water is compelled to pass, and meansfor drawing off the water passing through said filter, substantially asdescribed.

2. A separator for Waste Water in-gas-making comprising threecompartments in which the water is compelled to travel in succession,the first compartment having partitions over which the Water iscompelled to pass,to catch the heavy tarry substance, a secondcompartmenthavin g a baffle plate or partition spaced from the bottomthereof to catch the I 5 particles lighter than Water, and the thirdcompartment having a filter, a screen through Which the Water iscompelled to pass thereby catching particles of substantially the samespecific'gravity as Water, substantially as de- 20 scribed.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

L. P. LOXVE.

Witnesses:

ERNEST \V. HEINE, S. MCLAUGHLIN.

